Added CEO Brandon Burgess, "We will take Ion Television to a new level."

In an homage to one of Ion's off-net additions, the presentation opened with an old-style gag reel placing three of the net's execs in scenes from "Legal." It was followed by an appearance by Denny Crane himself, William Shatner, complete with a cigar and glass of scotch.

Shatner opined that he didn't like the name Ion. "Sounds like something you find in space," the "Star Trek" icon said.

"ER" and "Dead Zone" are slated to begin airing in the summer, followed by the other off-net series in fall and later.

After the presentation, Burgess said Ion also plans to enter the original series arena by launching its first original show -- either scripted, comedy or talk -- targeted toward black audiences by next year's upfront.

Ion also plans to air 12 original made-for-TV movies from partner RHI Entertainment on the weekends.

The network's lineup also includes "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," "M*A*S*H," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Family Feud" and "Quantum Leap."